Judy Armstrong of Painesville Township gets a flu shot, and simultaneously, a shingles vaccine Friday from Public Health Nurses Kathy Vernon, left, and Linda Burkholder, at the Lake County General Heath District.

Health officials say influenza activity is on the rise in Ohio and people are encouraged to get a vaccine to prevent the illness and limit the spread of the virus.
The Ohio Department of Health reported that as of Dec. 27 across the state there have been 338 hospitalizations from influenza.
The activity in the state isn’t quite as bad as some other parts of the country, but there are signs that activity is increasing, according to Department of Health.
Flu vaccine is available at most health care providers’ offices, local health departments and retail pharmacy chains.
For more information on influenza, including where to find vaccine, visit the “Flu Season in Ohio” feature at www.odh.ohio.gov.
Kathy Durchik, Lake County General Health District nursing director, said the county has followed the state’s pattern.
“We know in Northeast Ohio we have had a little bit more flu going on right now,” Durchik said. “We have had some residents admitted with influenza.”
She said indicators from outpatient settings show that people who are middle-aged and younger have had the illness more than others.
It’s not too late for people to protect themselves, Durchik said.
“We still want to encourage vaccination,” she said.
The Health District has vaccines available at its office in Painesville, and Durchik encourages people to call the agency to find out when they can get it.
Health officials say once a person is vaccinated, it takes about two weeks to fully build up immunity, so it’s important to take action now as influenza starts to peak in January and February.
Symptoms of influenza can include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Although most people fully recover from the flu, a small number of people experience severe illness such as pneumonia and respiratory failure). It can sometimes be fatal.
Anyone who becomes ill with the flu and is pregnant, has an underlying medical condition or experiences a particularly severe form of the illness should immediately contact their health care provider.
In Ohio, as in the rest of the country, most of the flu circulating now is H1N1, which disproportionately affects young and middle-aged adults, according to the Department of Health. However, seasonal flu viruses might become more prominent as the season continues.
Durchik said this year’s vaccine contains both H1N1 — as it has since 2009 — and seasonal flu strains. So those who become immunized will have an increased degree of protection against multiple kinds of flu, she said.
“Flu season always comes in the winter, as far as when it starts, that’s a variability,” Durchik said. “It doesn’t surprise me when you see it around the holidays because people are indoors and mingle with their family and at social gatherings.”
She also encourages people who get sick to notify their primary caregiver to see if an antiviral can be given to help lessen symptoms.For more information about influenza or vaccinations, visit the Health District at www.lcghd.org or call 440-350-2543.

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